Shipping-box.



No. 896,771. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908. W. R. STOKELY. SHIPPING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1907.

8 Wm H to z Witnesses w awn attozmug ms "cams FEYERS C04, WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED s'r 'r s PATENT ornron.

WELLS R. STOKELY, OF ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA.

SHIPPING-B OX.

Application filed September 24, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WELLS R. STOKELY, citizen of the United States, residing at St. Augustine, in the county of St. John and State of Florida, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shipping Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to cylindrical shipping boxes for fruit, vegetables, eggs and the like; and it seeks to provide a cylindrical shipping box of wood having heads calculated to lend stiffness and strength to the box as a whole and materially prolong the usefulness of the same, and this while assuring the free passage of air for ventilating purposes into the ends of the boxes when the same are superposed end to end-"L. 6., arranged endwise one above the other.

With the foregoing in mind, the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claim when the same are read in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a cylindrical box constituting the preferred embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a diametrical section of the box, and: Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the novel and advantageous heads, removed.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which:

A is the body of the box. The said body A is cylindrical in form, and preferably perforated, as indicated by a, for ventilating purposes, and is provided at its lower and upper ends with hoops 1), arranged flush with said ends, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

B B are the heads of the box, and C C are fasteners which represent any suitable means for securing the heads to the hoops or other parts of the body A. The novel heads B are identical in construction, and therefore a detailed description of the one shown in Fig. 3 will suffice to impart a definite understanding of both. The said head B, Fig. 3, comprises a main circular portion. 0 which for the sake of cheapness and lightness is made quite thin, of veneer or the like, and is of a diameter to snugly fit within one end of the body and flush with said end and the adjacent hoop I), and ellipticalshaped reinforcing pieces d arranged on the outer side of the main, circular portion 0 and glued or other- Wise permanently connected' thereto. The

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 25, 1908.

Serial No. 394,295.

said reinforcing pieces'd are preferably of a greater thickness than the main portion 0, in about the proportion shown, and they are extended beyond the periphery of the said main portion 0 so as to assure their outer edges resting flush with the perimeters of the hoops 7), Figs. 1 and 2, when the main por tion 0 is positioned within the end of the body A, as illustrated I also prefer for the head B to comprise one or more, reinforcing crossbars 6, preferably one as shown, fixed on the outer side of the main portion 0 and arranged so that its ends rest in the same circle 'as the outer edges of the elliptical reinforcing pieces cl. Said bar 6 assists the elliptical pieces d in lending stiffness and strength to the thin main portion 0, but I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to its employment, since it may be omitted without involving departure from the scope of my invention as defined in the claims appended.

By virtue of the heads B being made up of I cylindrical box is rolled, the reinforcing pieces (1 sustain the weight of the major portion of the box and its contents, and in that way lessen the liability of the box being broken or pressed out of shape. It will further be apparent that the elliptical reinforc.

ing pieces (I strengthen the thin main portion 0 adjacent to the center of the latter, and thereby prevent bulging of said portion 0 under the pressure or Weight of the contents of the box, and also prevent caving of the main portion 0 when another box is placed on the head. Again it will be noted that when boxes embodying my invention are placed end to end on top of each other, the opposed elliptical reinforcing pieces (1 hold the main portions 0 apart and thereby afford passages between the main portions through which air may reach the apertures f provided in the main portions c and circulate freely into and out of the boxes as is desirable. The reinforcing pieces (1 are preferably made imperforate as shown in order to assure their be-.

ing possessed of the requisite stiffness and strength but it will be seen that by reason of the elliptical form of said pieces (1 they are enabled to lend the necessary stiffness and strength to the central portion of the part '0 without closing the ventilating apertures f adjacent to the center of said part c.

In addition to the advantages hereinbefore ascribed to my novel boX, it will be noted that the boX is light in weight, and that a number of the boxes may be packed economically and yet in such manner as to assure the free passage of air to and from the fruit or vegetables or other produce contained in the boxes.

Having described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

In a cylindrical boX, the combination with a body having a hoop surrounding its end, of a head connected with the ,body and comprising a main circular portion which is perforated and snugly fits within the end of the 'tions serve to lend stiffness and strength to the central out closing t center.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses art of the main portion withe perforations adjacent to said WELLS R; STOKELY.

Witnesses:

N C. I-IEALY, Tnos. E. TURPINr 

